All-in-One Roast Chicken & Mushroom Rice

This is proper comfort family food. Soft chicken with a lovely crusty skin and super tasty sticky rice, yummy! Don’t get put off by the amount of garlic that goes into it. You’ll be surprised how tasty it is. We had it with brown rice this time. Use white rice if you don’t have time to  soak it overnight. Brown rice without soaking doesn't work.

Portions: 2 adults + 2 children
Cooking time: 20 mins preparation + 45 mins cooking time

What's in it: Being rich in fiber, protein and Vitamin B, mushrooms help to maintain a healthy metabolism. They are also rich in potassium and copper, a mineral that has cardio-protective properties. Parsley is a rich source of anti-oxidant nutrients, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene. And a good amount of garlic in this dish will increase the numerous health-promoting effects and promote iron circulation. Now add brown rice and organic chicken and you’ll have the perfectly balanced and super healthy family meal. To be honest, I was surprised myself when I looked this up.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice (soaked in water overnight)
• 6 organic chicken thighs on the bone, skin on but access fat cut off
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 200g chestnut mushrooms
• 1 small bunch parsley (25g), chopped
• Salt, pepper, sweet paprika powder, vegetable stock granules

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika powder. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large oven-proof pan and fry chicken for 2 minutes each side, starting with skin side down. Transfer onto a plate and set aside.
3. Gently fry onions, garlic and mushrooms in the same pan using the chicken oil. Add 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water, stir and season with vegetable stock granules and a bit more salt.
4. Place chicken pieces on top (skin side up) and transfer into the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes.
5. Check rice after 30 minutes and add a bit more water if necessary.
6. Remove from the oven when the chicken has a nice crust, the rice is soft and has absorbed all the water. Transfer chicken onto a separate plate and mix parsley into the rice.
7. I personally prefer the rice a little burnt, so I placed the pan back onto the hob and fried the rice for a few minutes until crusty at the bottom.
8. Serve rice with chicken on top and a slice of lemon.

Toddler version: Take chicken off the bone and mix with rice before serving.

Suitable for re-heating in the oven or in frying pan. I’d suggest taking the meat off the bone.


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About this blog
This blog is about family cooking. It's important to get together for family meals. Here I'm posting healthy family recipes that kids and adults will love and make cooking for the family more fun. All my family recipes are well balanced and healthy family recipes but they can be tweaked for fussy eaters or spiced up for a more sophisticated adult palate. In addition to the healthy family recipes, I'm publishing some of my knitting and crochet patterns for toddler toys and accessories.